The victim of Santa Paula's first homicide of 2018 was identified Monday by the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office.
Eduardo Lira, 24, of Santa Paula, was found dead of a gunshot wound to his chest late Saturday, minutes after another gunshot victim had been reported in the emergency room of Santa Paula Hospital.
Lira's body was found around 11:52 p.m. when the Santa Paula Police Department received a call regarding a person down near the intersection of High and Sycamore streets.
Lira, who police said also went by the nickname "Lalo," was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel.
Less than 20 minutes earlier, at 11:35 p.m., police had been called to Santa Paula Hospital regarding a 24-year-old male shooting victim being treated there. Authorities described his injuries as not life-threatening.
Police believe the two 24-year-old victims were together at the time they were shot. The crime took place near the intersection where Lira was found, authorities said late Monday afternoon. The other victim had fled the scene and was taken to the hospital by a private party, according to police.
By Sunday afternoon, a makeshift memorial had been set up near Sycamore and High streets with a framed photo collage of Lira, prayer candles and red roses. Numerous people stopped by the corner to visit the site, with several saying they knew the young man in the photographs.
A few neighbors said they had heard gunshots or a ruckus during the night, but none had seen anything other than police cars that swarmed into the area and locked it down.
The intersection is located generally northeast of downtown Santa Paula, on the east side of Ojai Road, also called Highway 150, in a residential neighborhood with mostly single-family homes.
Any suspect or suspects were still at large as of Monday evening, officials said, and the shootings were being actively investigated by department detectives.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Detective Ramzi Raad at 805-525-4474, ext. 211 or to remain anonymous, call Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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